education
A lot of children get their first phone
around the beginning of secondary
school, when their parents need to be
able to communicate with them and
know where they are, and as they get
older that doesn’t change
When speaking to your children,
help them understand the reality of your
concerns—especially as they get older.
They’ll be perfectly capable of talking
to you about it in a rational way as long
as they’re aware you’re not just playing
‘bad cop’.
Other Issues with Technology
Generally, keeping a close eye on how
much time your kids spend on their
devices is a good idea, but what might
be overlooked is a much bigger issue.
What they’re doing with that time is
potentially more dangerous—children
are easily influenced and manipulated,
and even seemingly innocuous things
like video games or Youtube videos can
be used to harness radical and twisted
ideologies. This isn't a comment
made to scaremonger—it’s easy to
jump to the oft-recited conclusion that
video games breed violence—but it’s
important to note, especially in our
era of pervasive technology, just how
dangerous that can be. Constant,
unfiltered access to the Internet
can have a major impact, and one
which isn’t immediately noticeable
to an outside observer, or even a
parent who didn’t grow up in this sort
of environment.
Tech Control Software
Qustodio
Qustodio covers a number of platforms.
It can be used on Windows, macOS,
Android, iOS andAmazonf Fire Devices.
Install the app on your child’s device and
you can then monitor and control various
aspects from your own phone or PC.
Time limits can be set for daily use, or
specific to certain apps. Filters prevent
access to inappropriate content and
allow you to see exactly how much time
your child is spending on social media,
and who is messaging themThere is also
a location tracker. The cost per month
depends on the amount of devices.
www.qustodio.com
Kaspersky Safe Kids
The free version of Kaspersky Safe
Kids, which works by installing an app
on your child’s phone, allows parents to
set restrictions on the type of content
children can access and limit specific
apps by time and set overall time
limits. The paid for version enables you
to track your child’s location. It also
features a battery check so you know
how much power is left on your child’s
device. Social media monitoring alerts
you to public posts on Facebook.
www.kaspersky.co.uk/safe-kids
Net Nanny
Net Nanny encompasses Android, iOS
and Amazon Fire products as well as
Windows. It has controls for filtering
adult content and notifies parents
about online search subjects. Screen
time can be limited and also allows
you to set times when the internet
is, and isn’t, available. It also has a
location tracker. A Family Protection
Pass has a package of five or 20
device licenses. www.netnanny.
com/products/family-protection-
pass/?pid=2484&sscid=81k3_jikps
Sign a Contract
Common Sense Media has a great
family media agreement that you
can ask your child to sign. www.
commonsensemedia.org/family-
media-agreement
Autumn 2019
47